Polar bear diet

Because the polar bear's body requires a diet based on large amounts of seal fat, they are the most carnivorous member of the bear family.

Food can be hard to come by for polar bears for much of the year. The bear puts on most of its yearly fat reserves between late April and mid-July to maintain its weight in the lean seasons.

The food-free season can last 3 to 4 months -- or even longer in areas like Canada's Hudson Bay. As the Arctic warms due to climate change, the ice pack is forming later in the season, and bears must wait longer to begin hunting again.

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WHAT DO POLAR BEARS EAT?

Seals

Seals are a particularly energy-rich food source, especially for hungry mothers and their growing cubs.

Polar bears can devour huge amounts of fat from seals when this prey is abundant. Polar bears largely eat ringed and bearded seals, but depending upon their location, they may eat harp, hooded and ribbon seal.

A 121-pound seal can provide 8 days worth of energy - but the bear needs to eat much more in order to store up reserves.

When there are plenty of seals, adult polar bears only eat the fat, leaving the carcass for scavengers such as foxes, ravens and younger bears.

When food is scarce

Polar bears may attempt to find alternate prey on shore, including muskox, reindeer, small rodents, waterfowl, shellfish, fish, eggs, kelp, berries and even human garbage. Bears attracted to communities by garbage or stored food may come into conflict with people.

Occasionally, the bears will hunt beluga whales and adult walrus.

Watch: A polar bear in Russia's Laptev Sea sizes up a herd of walruses for a meal.

Did you know?

Efficient digestion
The bear's digestive system absorbs approximately 84% of the protein and 97% of the fat it consumes.

4.4 pounds of fat
How much the average polar bear can consume in a day.